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Summary: instrumental yet faulty at times
Review: I am pleased to see a popular book which deals with the topic of self-improvement. Although a bit overtaken by the snazzy new catch-phrase "EQ", and I agree its not exactly intelligence, but it is a necessary skill.The book relates several incidents of persons who succeed and fail in acting appropriately because of their 'social-emotional' skills, or lack of them. I disagree with Goleman and the other reviewers about this being very needed in schools. Discipline must come first, and that is the only way out of current problems in schools. We need not replace core criteria and discipline with this topic, however important. Parents and society can start to implement what Goleman is suggesting, instead.
Rating:
Summary: important topic, could have been more precise
Review: Goleman covers an important topic, although his handling could have been far more precise. It reads like a pop-magazine in this regard. Goleman clearly identifies several issues which relate to how we interact and operate in the world, but he provides little solid evidence other than examples or a few case histories for making his point. I've taken several psychology courses, and do recommend further study of this issue, but I think you'd do well to pick a more academic author.
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Summary: Err, dan -did you actually read the book?
Review: Having read this book I can't imagine what dan brueggert was reading. This book doesn't say that self esteem is more important than achievment, It states that a person's skill with dealing with emotions is one of the keys to there ability to achieve. How does one engage in anything if they lack the self confidence to begin? How do you achieve what you want if you can't control your impulses? Mr. brueggert's misstatement of this books content is somewhat bizzare. But, what do you expect from an objectivist.
Rating: 
Summary: A Contradiction? A Misnomer?
Review: Emotions are not tools of cognition. This is markedly different from saying that emotions are of no worth, it is simply a statement that "reactions" are not successful guides to problem solving. Goleman has failed to demonstrate how emotional reactions are cognitive tools. I freely admit that emotions are a major component of our personal make-up, but if you are interested in the interplay of emotive traits with overall personality, I would suggest you look toward Meyers-Brigg testing analysis, or Kiersey Temperament Sorter analysis. My contention with Goleman is not merely his failure to adequately link "emotion" and "intelligence", but his overall position. Goleman seems to be caught up in the politically-correct, feel-good crowd which believes that a childs all important self-esteem is more important than their academic acheivement. This book is little more than a populist consolation: "Now, now, Junior, you may be stupid, but you're still worth SOMETHING!" It is exactly this specimen of feelings-based evaluation that has led us to the point where we are graduating illiterates and shaming acheivement.
Rating: 
Summary: A realistic view of emotions, the mind and how they work
Review: I believe that Mr. Goleman combines scientific data with everyday language to formulate a book to help us understand why we do many of the things we do, and more importantly why react to different stimuli in certain ways. The book offers lessons in interpersonal relations, allowing us a glimpse into the mind of the human animal with an analytical look at emotions as either friend or enemy but assuring us that with effort, we can master our own destinies.
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Summary: Some truths are so self evident that we do not see them
Review: In too many conflicts and fights the issue is not what a person said or did, but about how it was said and done. It is clear as daylight that the way we feel about issues and persons bears a direct influence on how we act towards them. This book stress the fact that if we want to live a fruitful life, we shall pay close attention to our feelings as well as to the emotions of others. Only then we will acquire the mastery required to function with ease in society. A person who is understood by others will be trusted by them, and understanding someone is not just an intellectual effort, it is also the capacity to relate oneself to the mental state of that person, i.e. its emotions. Such feast can only be done if we develop our emotional intelligence. I guess this book will not tell you something you do not know, but it will open your eyes about the fact that your emotions are within your control, and that if you pay attention to them and their underlying forces a new dimension of possibilities appear in your life as well as in the life of those close to you, particularly, your children.
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Summary: Thought provoking
Review: Psychological theories come-and-go, and no one can predict if Goleman's thesis that emotional development determines success in life will hold up in the long run. However, I was surprised at how often the book inspired me to examine my own life and search for emotional explanations. More often than not, his theories brought a clarity to my actions that I didn't have before. I wouldn't quite call this book self-help, but as a tool for introspection, it's invaluable. (It's also great fun to match Goleman's descriptions of the "emotionally inept" with loathsome co-workers and family members.)
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Summary: Not exactly what it appears to be
Review: There is a lot to admire here and I enjoyed returning to a genre (popular psychology) that I left many years ago. If my recollection is correct, Goleman's book is a step beyond such "classics" as I'm Okay, You're Okay..., etc., particularly in terms of scholarship. I liked the way he took the medical profession to task for its lack of empathy and its failure to provide emotional support for patients. He does not however address the cause, which is the desire of the AMA and its members to maintain the exclusivity and high economic status of the profession. I loved the affection Goleman showed for the children learning to be social. However I don't think the book is about emotional so much as social intelligence, and perhaps that is entirely to the good since social intelligence is a fundamental human need, and certainly for most people it is easier to learn social skills than it is to discard negative emotions and achieve positive ones. Most of the book is about how to behave effectively in society, how to make adjustments in marriage, on the job, with peers, at school, etc. Some space is given to the experiences in childhood that mold us emotionally (or so it is believed). This is all fine, but I don't think Goleman makes much of a case for changing emotions as he does for changing behavior. Of course, I'm all for that: if you don't feel empathy, at least fake it! On page 107 for example he talks about the "utter lack of empathy for their victims" by "child molesters and other such offenders." He describes "one of the most promising treatment programs" in which "the offenders read heart-wrenching accounts of crimes like their own, told from the victim's perspective." The psychologist who developed the program claims that the recidivism rate for those who complete the program is half that of those who did not receive the treatment. Even if true, it doesn't follow that these guys learned any empathy. Most likely they learned more clever behavior, and of course the people who entered and stayed with the program are preselected to not return for any number of reasons, mainly they're smarter. I have a similar objection to the idea (for example) that depression leads to increased death and disease. Certainly the life expectancy of depressed people is less than that of optimistic people, but it is not clear whether depression is a cause or a symptom. And the well known connection between social isolation and morbidity reported by Goleman doesn't necessarily mean that social isolation kills, but could mean that people who want to die, first isolate themselves from society, which is the way in some cultures-or it could mean something else entirely. I also object to the general idea that emotions, instruments of the evolutionary mechanism, can or should be much influenced by society except in self-defense. The purpose of many emotions is to drive the individual in a direction consistent with the needs of the species mechanism regardless of what society or the individual wants. The needs, concerns and prejudices of any given society are relatively ephemeral notions compared to the evolutionary imperative, and in many cases it's a good thing we have instincts that override what society wants. Goleman's book is understandably written from the point of view of the society and as such puts social concerns first; however I am at that place in my life where I find the concerns of the individual to be more important. The (rather limited) psychological tradition that Goleman is an effective spokesman for, is not to me as important or as valuable or even as "true" as the psychological ideas found in the great religions of the world. One last very important quibble: nowhere in the book is the most deleterious emotion mentioned or identified as such. That emotion is desire. Goleman, unaccountably, does not even identify sexual desire! He lists love in Appendix A but it is apparent that sexual desire is not part of that classification (p. 289). He allows that there are "hundreds of emotions." The fact that he does not recognize desire would be amazing except we know that his readers would not like to hear about any problems with desire, and this book is pristinely PC with a clear eye to the marketplace. Desire is what keeps the economic machine of the society that he represents going! As the economists say, goods are limited, but human desires are infinite. Additionally the secret to avoiding the inevitable pain caused by desire is not any attempt to fulfill those desires, but to lose the desires. That formula would not sit well with his readers nor with his publishers. Goleman is accomplished and clever. He went to the best schools and he has made quite a success of his education. He is politically astute, and he may be an expert on emotion, but he should know that the splashy idea of emotional intelligence is as vague, subjective and limiting as that of IQ, perhaps more so.
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Summary: The best introduction to Emotional Intelligence available
Review: This is the book which put EQ on the map. It makes a good case for what Emotional Intelligence is, why it's important, and some of the brain science backing it up (along with scientific support for NLP concepts like rapport). No clues given as to how to develop it though! I found the book readable and fascinating (though as I teach EQ development courses I have a professional interest). It's a good summary of much of the research in this area.
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Summary: How the book has helped me
Review: As a recovering alcoholic of 5 years, this book has been profound in my daily dealings with others as well as understanding my own feelings. I just wished it were taught in schools from an early age. Matbe we would not have all the hate crimes and feelings we do.
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